1. What is the YEAR Function & How Does It Work?
The YEAR function takes a valid date serial number or cell reference and returns the 4-digit integer year (ranging from 1900 to 9999).
Formula Anatomy: The Parameter of YEAR()
=YEAR( serial_number )1. SERIAL_NUMBER (REQUIRED)
Which cell contains the date?
The cell reference (e.g. A2) or valid date string to extract year from.
A2 = "2026-08-12" ➔ Returns 20262. Real-World Analytics Scenarios for YEAR
📊 Scenario A: Year-over-Year (YoY) Financial Cohorts
Add a YEAR helper column to group raw transactions by fiscal year in Pivot Tables.
=YEAR(A2)🎂 Scenario B: Approximate Age Calculation
Calculate approximate customer or employee age by subtracting birth year from current year.
=YEAR(TODAY()) - YEAR(A2)🔍 Scenario C: Multi-Year Filter Conditions
Filter data rows for orders occurring in the current year only.
=IF(YEAR(A2)=YEAR(TODAY()), "Current Year", "Past Year")🎮 Live Interactive YEAR Extractor Simulator
Pick or type any date to see =YEAR(A2) isolate the 4-digit year in real-time!
EXTRACTED 4-DIGIT YEAR (=YEAR(A2)):2026
📊 Generated Excel Formula
=YEAR(A2)🧪 Knowledge Check — YEAR Function Quiz
Question 1 of 5Score: 0